When I Close My Eyes
by InvisiMeg
Summary: One shot. While taking a walk through the park one evening, Rachel runs into Quinn. Day after day, she finds herself going back in hopes of running into Quinn again.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

As Rachel walked along the dirt path, she saw a familiar flash of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. Quinn was walking perpendicular to her, coming across the grass, headed right for her. She had her eyes down, looking at the ground, seemingly oblivious to Rachel's presence. Rachel cleared her throat, hoping to get the other girl's attention without frightening her. Quinn looked up at the sound and Rachel smiled at her.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Quinn," Rachel said as the blonde walked the remaining distance to the path.

"Hey, Berry," Quinn greeted, her voice sounding a bit husky as if she hadn't spoken in a while.

Rachel frowned; she thought they were past Quinn referring to her by her surname, but she guessed she was wrong. "What are you doing out here?"

"Walking," Quinn answered shortly.

"It's a nice evening," Rachel commented, looking around. "This is my favorite time of the year. It's warm enough, so there's no need for a coat, but it's not so hot yet that you feel like you're going to melt." Rachel looked at the blonde, but her face was impassive. "Well, I should probably continue on my walk. The sun will be setting soon and I told my fathers I would be home before dark. I wouldn't want them to worry."

Rachel turned and started walking along the path again until Quinn called out, "Would you like to see something?"

"See what?" Rachel asked as she turned around.

"You'll just have to follow me if you want to find out," Quinn said, raising her eyebrow.

Rachel looked over her shoulder, gazing down the path, and then turned back to the blonde. "Alright, Quinn, I'll follow you."

Quinn smirked slightly and continued on her way, forgoing the path, and walking straight into the small forest at the edge of the park. Rachel frowned as she watched her disappear between the trees and then rushed to catch up.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"That way," Quinn answered, pointing forward.

Rachel huffed. "You know that's not what I meant."

Quinn looked over her shoulder and gave Rachel a small smile. "Don't you trust me, Berry?"

Rachel faltered as she pondered the question. Did she trust Quinn? After their history, she probably shouldn't—and most people wouldn't—but her first instinct was to say yes. There was something that had always drawn her to the other girl. She knew there was more to Quinn than what the blonde tried to convey to the world, and she thought that was why she always felt that pull toward her. She would catch glimpses of something beneath the façade and it always left her more intrigued than before. So did she trust Quinn? Maybe, maybe not, but that wasn't going to stop her from following the blonde.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted.

She expected Quinn to make some snide remark, but she just turned around and continued walking between the trees. Rachel thought she saw a slight frown on the blonde's face before she turned, but she figured it was probably just her imagination. She doubted Quinn cared whether or not she trusted her.

As the trees thinned, Rachel could see where they were going, and she smiled as she said, "It's beautiful."

"I know," Quinn stated.

"I didn't know this was here," Rachel said, looking out over the small lake.

"I don't think it's part of the park," Quinn said, glancing at her.

Rachel gasped. "Are we trespassing?"

"Probably," Quinn said, smirking.

"Quinn!" Rachel said with wide eyes. "We could get in trouble.

"Relax," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "I've been coming here for years, and I've never seen another person around; I think we're safe."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest but said nothing further. She relaxed a little when she looked at the lake again; it really was very beautiful, which almost made up for the fact that they were probably trespassing and could be arrested at any moment.

"How did you find this place?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed lightly. "I was catsitting once for Brittany; one of her instructions was that I take Lord Tubbington on a walk once a day because she was trying make him lose weight. You can imagine how well that went. He got out of his collar and made a run for it into the woods. I spent an hour looking for him, and never found him, but I did find this place."

"What happened to Lord Tubbington?" Rachel asked

"Two hours later, I found him outside McDonald's," Quinn replied.

Rachel shook her head slightly and smiled. "How often do you come here?"

"Sometimes," Quinn replied. "More lately than usual, though."

There was a sadness in Quinn's eyes when she said this, and Rachel wanted to ask about it, but she was afraid Quinn would stop talking to her if she did. She had a tendency to clam up anytime things got too personal and Rachel was actually enjoying the moment, so she didn't want to ruin it by putting Quinn on the defensive.

They stood there for a while in silence; Rachel was enjoying the moment and it was with great reluctance that she said, "I should probably be heading home."

"See you, Berry," Quinn said, looking at her for a second, and then looking back to the lake.

"Have a good night, Quinn," Rachel replied, giving her a smile, and then turning to make her way back to the path.

* * *

Rachel found herself in the same park the next day. She often took a walk most evenings, but she generally varied the spot; she told herself she came here again because it was one of the nicer places to walk, but if she was being honest with herself, it was really because she wanted to see if Quinn was around again. She was there right around the same time as the previous night, and as she neared where she had run into Quinn the night before, she greatly slowed her pace, hoping to 'accidentally' run into the blonde again. She passed by the spot where they had met on the path and continued on her way for about fifty yards, but then turned around, coming back when she didn't see Quinn anywhere.

She wondered if she wasn't coming; she did say she only came there sometimes. Rachel was a persistent person, though, so she looked toward the trees and contemplated going through them. She didn't like the idea of trespassing, especially if she was alone, but she knew it was a possibility that Quinn had already been there and was currently at the lake.

Rachel looked around, making sure no one was looking at her, before walking toward the trees and disappearing into them. The path wasn't hard to remember; it was well worn and she wondered if it was all Quinn's doing. The lake wasn't very far into the woods, so she came upon the clearing quickly. She could see Quinn's yellow sundress through the trees and smiled at the sight. Before she was able to say anything, Quinn looked over her shoulder and smiled at her.

"I had a feeling you would come here again," Quinn remarked.

"What made you think that?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shrugged. "I just did."

"Well, this spot was far too pretty for me to just pass by," Rachel said, walking closer to the lake. "I can't believe this has been here every time I walked by and I had no idea."

"The world is full of surprises," Quinn commented.

"It seems so," Rachel replied.

"Are you planning on staying longer this time?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know; it's getting late," Rachel said, looking up at the sky.

"And your dads are expecting you," Quinn said.

"They are," Rachel said with a nod.

Quinn stood silently for a few minutes before asking, "How is Glee?"

"It's okay," Rachel replied. "Mr. Schue is insisting on this terrible set list, but I refuse to let him sabotage our chances of winning. I suspect he will see reason anytime."

Quinn smiled. "It's not another Journey medley, is it?"

"No," Rachel sighed, "worse."

"How much worse?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Disco," Rachel stated.

Quinn nodded her head. "You're right—he is trying to sabotage you guys."

"We all miss you," Rachel said, clasping her hands together. "It's just not the same without you there."

"I'm sure everyone is just fine without me," Quinn replied.

"I mean it," Rachel said, shaking her head. "Everyone misses you and wants you to come back. Whether you believe it or not, you have a lovely voice and are a very gifted dancer. You were a tremendous asset to the club even if we didn't say it enough."

"Something tells me not everyone misses me," Quinn argued.

"Well, you're wrong," Rachel stated.

"Shouldn't you be getting home if you want to be back before dark?" Quinn asked, clearly avoiding talking about the subject any longer.

Rachel sighed. "Yes, I should be."

"Goodnight, Berry," Quinn said.

"Goodnight," Rachel said, turning, and taking a few steps, but then turning back to Quinn. "Maybe tomorrow I'll come a little earlier."

Quinn looked over her shoulder at Rachel and gave her a small nod. The brunette smiled to herself, hoping that nod meant she would see Quinn again tomorrow.

* * *

"I thought you were going to be here last night."

Rachel sighed; she didn't know how Quinn already knew she was there, but maybe she was louder than she assumed. She thought she had been pretty quiet, though. She wasn't trying to sneak up on Quinn, but she was hoping no one would hear her in case whoever owned the land happened to be around.

"I know," Rachel said, walking up to Quinn. "I was going to come, but I was stuck at home last night."

"It's okay," Quinn said, shrugging. "I figured you were with Finn."

"I can assure you I was not with Finn," Rachel stated.

"I'm surprised," Quinn said with a hint of contempt in her voice. "I didn't think you knew how to be away from him for more than a few hours."

"Actually, Finn and I broke up," Rachel replied, crossing her arms.

"What?" Quinn asked, looking at her in obvious surprise.

Rachel nodded. "Five days ago."

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"Why does it matter?" Rachel asked back.

"It doesn't," Quinn said, looking back to the lake.

Rachel glanced at Quinn and immediately noticed the slight furrow to her brows. If Rachel didn't know any better she would think Quinn was upset about the breakup, but that was impossible. Quinn had always made it clear that she didn't approve of Rachel and Finn's relationship. It was understandable at first—Rachel did essentially break them up to get him—but she never really understood why Quinn continued to be so against it.

She knew Quinn was worried that she would choose Lima instead of New York, but what she didn't know was why Quinn cared so much. Other than her fathers, the blonde seemed more invested in Rachel's future than anyone. At first Rachel assumed it was because Quinn wanted her gone and wanted Finn free, but it no longer felt like that was the case. It seemed crazy to think it, but somewhere along the way, Rachel began to feel like maybe Quinn actually cared about her.

"I guess I simply realized the life I wanted didn't have Finn in it," Rachel finally answered even if Quinn said it didn't matter. "I will always love him—he was my first love, after all—but I know him." Rachel looked down. "He will never be happy in New York and I will never be happy anywhere else. Things may not be going exactly the way I envisioned them, but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to go after my dreams." When she looked up, Quinn was watching her carefully. "I feel like I lost sight of that for a little bit, and I think I have you to thank for setting me back on track."

"I didn't do anything," Quinn said.

"You did more than you know," Rachel softly replied. "No one else knows, so please let me be the first to tell them."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Quinn replied with a wry smile.

"Nevertheless, I would like to be the one to inform our friends of the breakup," Rachel stated.

"Why haven't you told anyone?" Quinn asked.

"It just didn't seem like the time," Rachel replied. "And I thought I would let Finn come to terms with it before everyone bombards him with questions. I felt it was the least I could do since he was rather blindsided by it."

"You don't regret it?" Quinn said as she stared intently into her eyes.

Rachel took a deep breath and then said, "No. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I know it was for the best. For both of us. He'll realize it one day when he finds someone who wants the same things as him and makes him happier than I can."

Quinn nodded and was silent for a moment before asking, "Shouldn't you be going?"

Rachel didn't have to go, but she knew Quinn well enough to know it was her way of asking her to leave. So, Rachel wordlessly nodded and began walking away with only a slight hesitation. She could feel Quinn's eyes on her back, but when she turned to look back, Quinn was already looking away from her.

* * *

Rachel was standing between two trees, watching Quinn as she sat by the pond. She didn't know if the blonde knew she was there, but she hadn't said anything like she usually did when Rachel approached. Still, Rachel got the sense that Quinn knew, but was just letting her have a moment. She was almost surprised to find Quinn there that evening; she knew the other girl said she'd been coming there more lately, but she'd been there all week. Part of her wondered if Quinn kept coming back because she knew Rachel would be there, but she quickly dismissed that idea. Quinn acted as if she could barely stand to be in the same room with her most of the time, and she doubted that the blonde's opinion of her had changed that much even if they were kind of friends now.

She finally began walking again, clearing her throat to announce her presence. Quinn didn't turn around or say anything, though, so Rachel continued to approach her. Rachel looked down at the blonde, who was staring at the lake. She followed her gaze for a moment before looking down at Quinn again, and then finally sat down.

When she looked over, Quinn didn't look very happy. Not that she ever really looked _happy_, but she was verging on looking angry. Rachel wondered if it was something she did, but she didn't know how it could be possible. She hadn't spoken to her since the evening before, so she couldn't imagine what she could have possibly done.

"Is everything alright?" Rachel said, finally breaking the silence.

"Fine," Quinn said without any emotion.

"Okay," Rachel said, not really believing her.

Rachel had no idea how long they sat there next to each other, but the sun slowly began setting. She knew she should be getting home, but she didn't want to leave just yet. Besides, she needed to talk to Quinn about something. She just didn't know how to broach the subject and really didn't know if she even should. It was just something Brittany had said earlier that day and she couldn't get it out of her mind. If she didn't ask Quinn about it, she felt like she was going to go crazy thinking about it.

"I talked to Brittany today," Rachel began. "She—said something that I wanted to ask you about. She told me—""

"I know what she said," Quinn interrupted.

"Oh, so you know," Rachel said with a nod.

"Brittany told me earlier," Quinn replied.

"Is it—is it true?" Rachel asked.

Quinn cocked her eyebrow as she finally looked at her. "Do you think it's true?"

"No," Rachel replied. "Everyone knows you can barely stand me, so the idea that you could possibly _like me_ is preposterous. I simply thought I would ask you about it to clear the air. I know Brittany says a lot of things and most of them are a little out there, but this has to be one of the crazier things she's said. I don't know why she thinks it could ever be possible for you to like me. You have made your disdain for me perfectly clear over the years and we've only developed our tentative friendship very recently. I told her she was clearly mistaken, but she insisted she wasn't. "

"You're wrong," Quinn stated.

"I'm—what?" Rachel asked.

"You're wrong," Quinn repeated.

"About which part?" Rachel asked.

"Everything," Quinn quietly answered.

Rachel slowly shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "To be so verbose, you're a little dense sometimes."

"Are you—are you saying that you _do_ like me?" Rachel asked. "As in—you're attracted to me? Because I don't think Brittany was referring to you liking me as a friend when she told me."

"I know what Brittany meant," Quinn stated.

Rachel was flabbergasted. She was certain Quinn would tell her Brittany was wrong and berate her for ever bringing it up, possibly ending any friendship that had formed between them. But here Quinn was, telling her she was wrong. Rachel could deal with the blonde being mean to her—she was used to it after several years—but she didn't quite know how to handle this. As much as she thought about it over the past day, it never really crossed her mind that Brittany could be right.

"I think I should go," Rachel said, quickly standing up.

As she walked away, she heard Quinn sigh behind her, but Rachel didn't stop or even look back.

* * *

"I didn't know if you would come again."

"How do you always know I'm here before I announce my presence?" Rachel wondered.

"I can feel you coming," Quinn answered.

Rachel didn't know exactly what she meant by that, but she didn't ask. Instead, she quietly walked up to Quinn and stopped beside her, glancing at the blonde. Her face was completely unreadable, so she had no idea if Quinn was happy that she was there or if she wished she had stayed away. However, considering Quinn wasn't saying anything to her, Rachel was beginning to think it was the latter.

"I apologize for leaving the way I did the other day," Rachel finally spoke.

"You don't need to apologize," Quinn replied. "It doesn't matter"

"It does matter," Rachel argued. "I just had a lot to think about."

"What's there to think about?" Quinn asked. "I think you made everything perfectly clear when you left."

"I didn't leave because I was uncomfortable with you or anything like that," Rachel stated. "I left because, as I already said, I needed to think about things. I had no idea you had feelings for me, so it came as a bit of a shock for me. I thought Brittany was mistaken because there was simply no way Quinn Fabray, head cheerleader and most popular girl at McKinley, could ever like me."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You know I haven't been either of those things in a long time."

"You still are to me," Rachel said with a shrug. "I just ended my relationship with Finn very recently and—"

"I'm aware," Quinn said dryly, interrupting her.

"Well then, if I'm going to try this, we have to go slowly," Rachel announced.

Quinn looked at her with her eyebrow cocked. "Try this?"

Rachel ducked her head and said, "One of the reasons I ended things with Finn was because I realized how much you mean to me. I was fully aware of my little crush on you our sophomore year, but I thought I was over it once I began dating Finn. However, the last few months, and especially this past week, made me realize my feelings were not entirely gone. In fact, they are quite alive and kicking."

"So, are you saying—"

"I'm saying I would like to see where these feelings lead us," Rachel replied. "I told you I had a lot to think about." Rachel smiled at Quinn, who still looked like she was in a bit of shock. "I do have one condition, though. I want to see you more than just here. I know it's a lovely place, but we can't keep meeting here forever. I want to be able to see you in the hallways at school and in the choir room, where I can sing to you because that's what I do."

Quinn chuckled. "I'll do my best."

"I need you to do better than your best," Rachel said softly.

Quinn gave her a slight nod and Rachel leaned up, placing a gentle kiss to Quinn's cheek. She paused for a moment as her lips still hovered next to Quinn's smooth cheek, and the blonde turned to look at her. Their lips were only a centimeter apart, but neither made a move until they both eventually looked away. Rachel said she wanted to take things slowly and Quinn was apparently going to go along with her wishes.

"So how slow are we talking about?" Quinn asked.

"Well, I'm not opposed to being ask out on a date sometime in the near future," Rachel replied.

Quinn nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm serious about seeing you more than just here, though," Rachel said, looking up at Quinn.

"I know," Quinn replied.

"If you really want to be with me, we cannot stay hidden away here," Rachel continued.

"I'll do my best," Quinn repeated, looking at her intently.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" Rachel hopefully replied and Quinn gave her another slight nod. "I hate to drop all this on you and run, but—"

"You have to go," Quinn finished.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Rachel knew she wouldn't get an answer from Quinn, so she didn't bother waiting around for one. She was reluctant to leave, but she knew she couldn't stay there forever. So, she turned and walked into the woods, hoping she would see Quinn soon.

* * *

When Rachel walked to her and Quinn's spot, the blonde wasn't there. Since they began meeting there, it was the first time she got there before the blonde and it worried her. Her heart began to race as she wondered if something happened to Quinn. She looked around to make sure the other girl really wasn't there and just in another spot, but there was no sign of her. She was completely alone and a voice inside told her that Quinn wasn't coming tonight.

_Something has changed within me  
__Something is not the same  
__I'm through with playing by the rules  
__Of someone else's game  
__Too late for second-guessing  
__Too late to go back to sleep  
__It's time to trust my instincts  
__Close my eyes and leap!_

Rachel's ringtone was loud and clear; she looked around for where the music was coming from as the trees began to grow darker, eventually dissolving from her view. Her eyes slowly opened as the lyrics repeated and she groped around her nightstand for her phone. She blearily looked at the screen, her eyes blurry from sleep. The name disappeared before she could see who was calling, but then started again when they called back.

"Santana?" she said when she answered.

"About dam time you answer your damn phone, Berry," Santana said in lieu of a greeting.

"Why are you calling me?" Rachel asked. "It's almost midnight."

"Q's awake," Santana stated.

"Wh-what?" Rachel asked, throwing her covers off.

"She's awake and she's asking for you," Santana replied. "Lord knows why, but she wants to see you. Personally, after nine days in a coma, I'd be worried about other things."

"Quinn's awake," Rachel repeated in a whisper.

"That's what I said," Santana remarked, and Rachel could practically hear the eye roll.

"Did she say anything?" Rachel asked.

"Just something about telling you she'd see you someplace else and not staying hidden," Santana replied. "Whatever the hell that means. I'm kind of hoping she'll share some of whatever's she's on because the girl's a little out of it."

Rachel smiled widely, trying to keep her tears at bay. "Tell her I'm on my way."

As she hung up, she heard Santana say something about not being her personal messenger—her words were a little more colorful—but Rachel didn't care. She was going to get to see Quinn awake and that's all that mattered.

* * *

**The title and inspiration for this story both come from the Billie Piper song I Dream. Rachel's ringtone was Defying Gravity from Wicked.**


End file.
